Issue - meetings

Report of the Director – Neighbourhoods

The Communities Manager introduced the Carbon Management Action Plan Review report and provided an overview of how the Council measured emissions, including direct and indirect emissions and carbon offsetting, and how it recorded information to capture its progress towards becoming carbon neutral by 2030. He said that it was this information that was used to create the dashboard graphs and performance outputs presented to the Group.

The Team Manager for Environment presented information to the Group. He explained the difference between the measurements for Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, the different generators of emissions that the Council produced, and the projects it was undertaking to bring those down, including at Cotgrave Leisure Centre, Sir Julian Cahn Pavilion and Gamston Community Hall. He thought that the Council’s recent transfer to using Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil to power its HGV vehicles would lead to a significant reduction in emissions, which would be captured in next year’s outputs.

The Team Manager for Environment said that the Council was continuing to work closely with Midlands Net Zero Hub to pull in and spend funding where it was needed most and was supporting parish councils with completing energy audits on any assets they had. He said that that Council also had close links with Rural Community Action Nottinghamshire and local businesses and that the Council was actively looking at regional collaborative bulk buying schemes, such as for solar schemes.

In relation to property and assets, the Team Manager for Environment provided an update about the status of ongoing Council projects, including potential land acquisition to meet the Council’s offset need to reach Net Zero by 2030, exploration of alternative models of delivery to install large net zero projects on Council Buildings, tree planting on existing Council land and an insulation project at Hound Lodge.

In relation to fleet and transport, the Team Manager for Environment confirmed that Electric Vehicle (EV) points were being installed at the Streetwise Depot, two EV Vans were in operation, Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil was operational, electric buggies were in use at Rushcliffe Country Park and an EV point had been installed at West Park for EV Vans.

In relation to contracts and procurement, the Team Manager for Environment confirmed that the Council considered the environmental and carbon impact for everything it purchased and that biodiversity net gain (BNG) software had been implemented to start mapping and surveying BNG over the next thirty years.

The Team Manager for Environment explained that the Council had overhauled its Climate Change Strategy and that its Ecology Team was proactively working with the Planning Team. He said that the Air Quality Strategy had been reviewed and that a number of areas had been downgraded due to a reduction in pollution recorded at those sites. He said that due to the success of work at Rushcliffe Country Park and it gaining Green Flag accreditation the Council was looking at how to expand that model to other sites.  

In relation to waste and recycling, the Team Manager for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18